Welcome to Sydney Voice Reels

Welcome to Sydney Voice Reels, a simple way to get started in the voice over industry. Aside from producing affordable, professional voice demos, I also love writing about voice over work. Here are my articles on voice over, so enjoy!

Pro Tools is the industry standard in audio recording. Most top voice over studios use Pro Tools, so getting a handle on this powerful Digital Audio Work Station is a great idea. There are alternatives such as Reaper, which is much more affordable and relatively user friendly, and Adobe Audition, which is often preferred by those who are already used to film editing in programs like Premiere Pro. Logic as another option that is an easy to use DAW.

One of the great things about Pro Tools, and most modern DAWs, is shortcuts that make your work flow more efficient. Here are some of my favourites when working on a voice over session:

Note: all these are for MAC, so there may be some slight conversion when working on a windows computer.

Note: sometimes there are alternative ways of doing the same thing. I’m not listing all options here, this is simply a list of what I like to use. Hopefully this will keep the list uncluttered and easy to follow.

Best Pro Tools Keyboard Shortcuts for Voice Over

Zoom in/Zoom out

Zoom in: T

Zoom out: R

Zoom in to see full clip: Option F

Zoom out to see full session: Option A

Zoom in/Zoom out on Waveform

Zoom in: Command + Option + ]

Zoom out: Command + Option + [

Note:zooming in makes the waveform bigger

Moving clip to location

Press Control on the location you wish to move start of clip to… Hold down Control and click the clip you wish to move. The clip should jump to where the cursor was placed.

Consolidate (Glue) Clips

If you’ve made edits to your clip, perhaps cutting out gaps in a voice over take I find it’s great to glue that clip altogether so you can move it around the session. All your fades will remain in tact.

So you want to upgrade your home studio and the obvious step is upgrade your microphone. You’re clever and I like it. So what is the best microphone for a voice over studio? I want to start at the end. The two dream microphone are as follows:

Neumann U87

Sennheiser MKH 416

So they’re the dream. Now it’s time to come back to reality. I think the first thing to think about is what your goal is for your home studio set up. I spent many years gradually building up my studio, and though I learnt a lot doing that in some ways I would have been better off either keeping the setup more simple or going harder on certain more long lasting pieces of kit.

To begin let’s assume you’re kicking off a basic voice over studio. The best microphone I can recommend:

Rode NT1

This microphone is incredible. And for the price it’s stupid. I’ve had this microphone for years and can’t fault it. It’s clear, versatile and easy to use. It also has an incredibly low 5db of self noise. That’s lower than the dream microphones recommended above. This is really important for narration or voice overs that have no backing.

Neumann TLM 103

This is kind of the younger brother of the U87 which is many ways the industry standard of voice over, and well vocals in general. The TLM is one of the most common microphones for professional voice over as it’s precise, clear and again has an incredibly low self noise.

Some other cool microphones.

People often talk about the Shure SM7B and the RE-20. Both awesome microphones. These are great for broadcasting and can be excellent for certain ads but have certain limitations.

So you’re heading into the studio to record a voice over demo… Fantastic! A great demo is the key to booking voice over work. The problem is that most voice over demos contain the same old commercials and promos that casting directors, producers and V/O agents have heard a hundred times. They know you didn’t do the advert, and they don’t get any insight into your unique vocal character. So I decided to put together a list of great Australian voice over scripts.

I recommend making tweaks and changes to the scripts to suit your unique style. If you start to see the formula for how these ads work, then try your hand at writing your own.

It’s always good to strive for variety in a voice over reel, so make sure you pick some adverts from different styles, ranging from soft to hard sells.

Tip: Doing a few recordings with another actor, especially of the opposite gender, gives your demo reel that extra edge. Ask a voice over mate or actor to come along and record a few lines when you’re tracking your reel.

Introduction to your voice over reel

Before we dive into the voice over scripts it’s always important to have a great introduction. Many voice over artists are booked on their intro tag. It can give the client a feel for your natural voice and a sense of your personality.

Simple: “Full Name”

Simple: Hi I’m “Full Name”

Simple: Hi I’m “Full Name” and this is my demo/reel

Longer: Hi I’m “Full Name”, I’m a voice over artist and actor based in “Location”.

Many voice over artists have a more personal or comic start to their voice reel. This can work well to catch people attentions, and could be a good option, especially if you’re voice is suited to comic, up beat voice overs. Personally I like something simple and classic.

Voice Over Scripts for Demo Reels

Friendly/Soft Sell Voice Overs

Telecommunications | Telstra

Give those you love the gift of connection…

With Telstra’s most popular prepaid phones. Save up to $50, with phones from as little as $79…

…and bring them closer this Christmas. Visit Telstra today.

Apple Pay Paying for the things you want just got faster and easier. Use your Citicard with Apple Pay. No wallet required.

Noodle Box

This summer try the all new Mongolian Lamb at Noodle Box. An irresistible fusion of succulent lamb, noodles and fresh veggies wok tossed in a tasty Mongolian sauce for that perfect wok-charred flavour. From just 10.95. Find a Noodle Box near you today.

Food | Chobani Yogurt

Unlike some others we don’t believe that food is fuel. Fuel is for machines. Food is for people. Food can give hope to those who need it most. It can feed the soul and help us grow. We don’t make fuel we make food. If you want fuel, go to the gas station. Chobani, Believe in Food.

Travel | Flightjet

Predictable you? No. Spontaneous you! Book a flight to over 250 destinations and you could save up to 50% on your return flight! Go now to Flightjet.com.au and book now!

Website | Airtasker

This is Airtasker.
Just post a task you need help doing.
Choose the right person for the job.
And wait for the task to be completed.
Airtasker. Get more Done.

Natural but stronger

Nivea Men

Men’s face care is not the same as women’s face car. Forget complicated, time consuming, and potentially painful. (Noise) Moisturizing can be simple, fast and feel good. Nivea Men originals moisturising cream. A classic from a pioneer of male skin care. Simple, effective grooming that gets noticed. From the world’s number one skin care brand. Nivea men. It starts with you.

Australian Institute of Fitness

I’m not Michelle Bridges, but I did choose to get qualified as a personal trainer at the Australian Institute of Fitness.

Sportsbet

Know you’re on a winner, but you’ve skimped on your bet?

No worries, Sportsbet has got you covered.

Half way through any race, fight, game or match you can double down your bet, and laugh all the way to the bank.

Double your bet, double your winnings, with Sportsbet.

Music Promo Voice Overs

iTunes/Music

From the electrifying group that brought you “Song Name”… “Band Name” are back with the new track “Song Name”. [Music Plays] “Song Name” by “Band Name” download on iTunes now.

Education Voice Overs

Curtin University

You can always spot the brightest minds.

The ones who think bigger.

Who push concepts a little further.

When you combine theory with practical study you get university students that are more switched on. That’s why Curitn is WA’s most prefered university.

Make the bright choice: visit maketomorrowbetter.com.au

Generic University Voice Over

Higher learning leads to higher earnings. Uni graduates can earn 75% more than school leavers, and have more career opportunities.

University of Adelaide (Storyteller)

We searchAcross every kind of terrainThrough timeTo the limits of imaginationAnd within the human soulWe seek lightThe light of new knowledgeSeek light: The University of Adelaide

Seductive/Sensual Voice Overs

Lindt

Wherever and whenever you take a Lindor moment… it just seems to make life feel so much more…sublime. Smooth, melting Lindor. From the Lindt master chocolatier. You choose the moment, we’ll provide the bliss

Dove

I’ll tell you a secret. Seductive, tempting, and irresistibly smooth. Only a chocolate this pure could last this long my lips. Fall to your knees and savour the taste of Dove salted caramel swirl. My secret. My Dove.

Fun/ Kids TV Show

Nickelodeon

Random facts.

Like Sponge bob, Steve Hillenburg, the creator of Spongebob, once worked as a fry cook at a seafood restaurant.

Visit the Nickshack to share your random facts.

Now back to the show.

Medical

Headaches (Panadol/Nurofen)

Headaches. We all get them. We all wish they would go away. Luckily, there is a solution. [Brand]. I just take two and there’s no more tension, no more throbbing, no more pain. My headache completely gone. [Tag]

Car Scripts

Mazda

Imagine a drive that feels like it’s crafted just for you. Imagine elegant design and advanced technology that’s ready for the unexpected. And imagine SUV performance that leaves other in its wake. Next Gen Mazda CX-5… Imagine better.

Heartfelt Voice Overs

Heartfelt (RSPCA)

We all need that special someone. Someone to make you laugh. Someone to listen. Someone to appreciate your cooking, but also to get you off the coach. Someone to be your best friend. Adopt your special someone today at RSPCA.

Red Cross (Giving Blood)

Did you know that one in three of us will need blood, or blood products, at some point in our lives. Yet only 1 in 30 Australians actually donate blood. Be the type to help save lives. Do something special. Give blood today.

Ronald McDonald (Charity)

On McHappy Day, $2 from every Big Mac goes to Ronald McDonald House Charities…

Keeping families with seriously ill kids close, so they can share their love and support.

…or a bedtime story when it’s needed most.

Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Join us for McHappy Day. November 12th.

Victorian CFA Volunteer

No matter who you are, becoming a Victorian CFA Volunteer is one of the most rewarding things you can do.

Show yourself that you can be remarkable

For more on how to become a CFA Volunteer, visit CFA.GOV.AU

Voice Over Scripts (Scenes)

As I mentioned above ideally a male/female scene works best. Often once the voice is compressed the voices can sound too similar.

Comical/ Fast Food (For Male Talent)

Male: Welcome to drive through can I take your order?

Female: Yeah, I’d like to leave my kids with you

Male: So that’s a kids meal…

Conclusion

Hopefully you found this list useful. If you have any ideas for other scripts get in touch on our Facebook page.

You’re on the search for the best voice over Youtube channels. Great! By that I mean the Youtube channels that inspire, educate and steer you on the right track in your voice over career.

Youtube is where I learn almost everything. Yeah sure, there’s a fair bit of nonsense on their, and a lot of channels love a longwinded introduction, however it’s a great way to learn. Especially for us visual learners.

For the most part it’s enthusiasts who genuinely want to help. Sure they might make a few bucks from Amazon, or run an online course and continually ask you to sign up to a webinar, but even still, they love to help. You only get into the Youtube game if you love the niche you are creating content in. And you only get into the voice over game if you love it. Why else would you spend your days in a foam booth?

Youtube search sucks. Which is ironic when it’s owned by the world’s biggest search engine. If you just start blindly searching “voice over” or “how to make millions with voice overs” you are going to spend about 20 hours, like I did, navigating through a pile of V/O rubbish.

So let me do the work for you! (I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I’ve been through.)

Here are my three must check out Youtube Channels about voice over and voice acting…

Best Voice Over Acting Youtube Channels

#1 Booth Junkie

Booth Junkie is the channel of Mike DelGaudio. Mike is an affable, easy going American voice over artist. His is a must watch channel for those wanting to get into voice over. His videos are casual, but engaging. You can tell that he genuinely wants to help and his insights are backed by experience.

If you are espeically interested in getting into voice overs from home, perhaps looking at setting up your own studio, he’s great.

His microphone comparisons are especially helpful and he doesn’t get caught up in technical terminology that most of us just don’t care about. He also tells it like it is; if he doesn’t like something he’ll let you know.

#2 VO BUZZ WEEKLY

This channel is fantastic! Every week, hosts Chuck Duran and Stacey J. Aswad invite in guests from the voice over world and pick their brains about how they do what they do. These two are powerhouses in the industry and everyone who’s anyone has been on this show. This can range from voice over artists, to agents and gear specialists.

I especially like the section on the channel where Chuck records new reels with voice over artists. He’s so precise, but also fun and engaging. It’s a great way to learn more about voice over acting as well as producing. Learn how the pro’s do it.

Here’s one of my favourites:

Recording a new demo like a PRO [VIDEO]

Isn’t it awesome!

Aspiring and established voice over artists should get their binge on with this inccredible channel.

#3 Bill DeWees

Much like Mike from Booth Junkie, Bill DeWees is another down-to-earth, straight talking American. Bill is one of the leading voice over actors in the world and runs a successful voice over coaching business.

Though he has a paid course, he gives away plenty of excellent content for free. His Youtube channel is stacked full of voice over information and has a real business focus. He covers everything from reviews, interviews and practical tips.

You can trust Bill because he’s done it! This guy is making BANK from voice over work. I recommend checking out his interviews, especially with successful previous students. You can get real hands on advice on how to start your voice over business at home.

I get it. You want to be a voice over artist. You’ve been told it’s an easy way to make a few bucks, and all you have to do is make silly voices. And you’re great at silly voices. Then you ask your acting buddies who’s the best voice over agent, they tell you RMK Voice, duhh, you send them an email with a few high iphone recordings and crickets…

So how do you get signed by RMK Voices?

#1 Voice Over is a Skill

You don’t just send off a tape and get signed. It’s not like acting where you might completely suck, but my god you look good with your shirt off and have 10,000 instagram followers. You’re voice has to be good, and it doesn’t matter who the hell you are.

By good I mean versatile, dynamic, energised, resonant, articulate and at times unique. This takes work. Regular voice warm ups, reading a variety of text, microphone practice, and practice in the field working as a VO artist.

So first step – buy a microphone, and start working on your voice. Do some training and start taking your voice over career seriously. It’s too competitive not to be incredible.

#2 Get a killer demo

When you do send off your email to RMK Voices, the main thing they will want to hear is your reel or demo. This is a a 1-2 min recording that includes a collection of your work. The demo should have a mixture of hard and soft sells and show your range.

A character demo is different to a commercial demo. If you are passionate about character demos then it might be worth getting one produced, but the bread and butter of voice work is using your natural voice and tweaking it slightly to suit the mood of the advert.

I could go on about how to make a great demo, but maybe it’s best to hear from Luke Downs, Managing Director of RMK Voices, who emailed me some advice for sending in a demo…

“One of the problems we experience with demos is that no sooner has an artist put up their new demo than another artist (usually new to the industry) is ripping it off. We receive a lot of demos through this agency and invariably there will be a few tracks ‘borrowed’ from our artists’ demos and it’s often those artists who have been a feature or reference point from a workshop or some such who are the most affected… sometimes we get a glut of the same tracks popping up on different VO demos – it’s quite a turn off (literally).

I would suggest that anyone interested in pursuing a career in voiceovers should do a lot of research first. Have a listen to the ads on TV and Radio (it’s amazing how many actors boast about not watching commercial television), get an idea of what styles are in demand at the moment on the premium ads (think big name / high end products). Match this to your demographic, for example if you’re in your 20’s and looking to make a start, you’d probably favour more youthful products, so watch / listen to the ads for Samsung, various universities, travel sites etc. Head to youtube and find the ads there – all big companies have their own youtube channel, watch the ads that have been done not just in Australia but other markets and see the differences in the deliveries. Go to voice agency websites and listen to the artists in your market that are listed and see what they’ve done to make their demo stand out and sound great…

Ideally you’ll have a head full of ideas and will have been practicing your own style of such ads well before you go into a studio to record your demo.

When it does come time to record your demo, make it your own. Don’t borrow tracks from other people’s demos and try to imitate their reads, if you do need to create your own material, look to other markets in other countries and ‘borrow’ from there or better yet, make up your own… it doesn’t even need to be for a real product.

It’s a very difficult industry to make a living from and it’s highly competitive – it also costs a lot of money to develop your demos and market them to potential clients, so probably only worthwhile for those who are extremely passionate about voiceovers and keen to invest the years required to get a foothold in the industry.”

I love this advice and it’s coming from the source so take note!!!

If you want to get a killer reel book one in today with Sydney Voice Reels. We produce high quality reels for a fraction of the price of most studios.

#3 Send a clear email

When you get in touch, make your email short and sweet. Keep it professional and attach your reel as a high quality mp3. They won’t respond straight away and it may be worth following up after the first email.

The best thing you can do while you wait to be signed by the best voice agency in Australia, is to work on your craft and try to get out there and find your own work. Showing that you are proactive and having a genuine CV will go along way.

So you want to be a voice over artist in Sydney? Don’t we all! Voice over work is great fun and pays really well. Perhaps you’re an actor trying to subsidise your income, or you just love the sound of your voice and want to crack into the voice over game.

The problem? The voice over world is small and hard to crack.

Like with acting, the voice over world is governed by a few gatekeepers. Even actors with big acting agents struggle to get voice over work, because it’s so cliquey.

The solution? Get signed to a voice over agency.

Acting agents, even those who have voice departments, typically don’t have enough man-power to get clients voice work. That’s why it’s always preferable to sign with a specific voice agent. Most acting agents don’t mind this, as they know it stops you working at a coffee shop. So if your acting agent isn’t get you voice auditions, it might be time to have the chat.

(I will list below some great acting agents, who are great at voice over rep.)

But here are my recommended voice agents in Sydney, Australia…

The major voice over agencies in Sydney

#1 RMK Voices

RMK Voices are the agency in the voice over game in Australia. They rep all the big voice over players and if you can get signed by them, you’re set! RMK operate in Sydney and Melbourne and rep voice talent of all shapes and sizes.

Here are some great insights Luke Downs, Managing Director of RMK Voices, wrote to me…

“It’s a very difficult industry to make a living from and it’s highly competitive – it also costs a lot of money to develop your demos and market them to potential clients, so probably only worthwhile for those who are extremely passionate about voiceovers and keen to invest the years required to get a foothold in the industry.”

#2 EM Voices

EM Voices are the second big player in the voice over scene. They are a specific voice agency that has a great reputation in Sydney and Melbourne. They rep some of Australia’s best voice talent for broadcast advertising, corporate, character voices and more.

Have a listen to their demos and check out their style. They list all their direct emails on the site, so you can easily get in touch with regards to rep.

#3 Scout Management

Formely Kathy Evans management scout our another of the big players. Again Kathy looks after some amazing voice over talent, and plenty of familiar faces/voices. Though the agency only began in 2008, it has quickly established a great reputation in the industry.

#4 Moore Creative Artists

MCA aren’t technically based in Sydney, but they rep voice talent in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth MCA are an incredible agency that look after many of Australia’s brightest voice talents as well as many familiar faces. Emma Craven, who heads up the voice department, is one of the best voice over agents in Australia. An exciting company that you would be thrilled to be signed to.

#5 Blah Management

Blah are a little smaller than the other companies listed here, but are still an exclusive voice over company. They are a little more approachable than the rest and have a great team.

Other Voice Over Agencies in Sydney

Media Sound EarCasting Blah Artist Management Voice Artists Sydney

Acting agencies with great voice departments…

These are some great acting agencies with great voice over departments…

How to get with an amazing voice agent…

If you are wanting to sign with one of these awesome voice agents, you need a voice reel. That’s where I come in. I started Sydney Voice Reels to help actors get into the voice over game without having to spend a fortune. Shoot me an email or a call and let’s get you an amazing voice reel.